Dokken | |
|---|---|
 Dokken performing atWacken Open Air 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Airborne(1976–1978) |
| Origin | Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1976[5]–1989, 1993–present |
| Labels |
|
| Members | Don Dokken Jon Levin Chris McCarvill BJ Zampa |
| Past members | Juan Croucier Bobby Blotzer Greg Pecka Steven R. Barry Gary Holland Greg Leon Gary Link Peter Baltes Kevin Burnes[6] Mick Brown George Lynch Warren DeMartini[7] Jeff Pilson Reb Beach John Norum Barry Sparks Alex De Rosso Sean McNabb Mark Boals |
| Website | dokken |
Dokken is an Americanheavy metal band formed inLos Angeles in 1978.[8] It split up in 1989 and reformed four years later. The band has had several hit singles which charted on theBillboard Hot 100, such as "Alone Again", "In My Dreams", and "Burning Like a Flame", and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.[9] The live albumBeast from the East was nominated for the inauguralGrammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1989.[10]
The classic Dokken line-up consisted of founderDon Dokken on vocals,George Lynch on lead guitar,Mick Brown on drums andJeff Pilson, who replaced theRatt-boundJuan Croucier in 1983, on bass; this line-up remained stable from 1983 to 1989, and again from 1993 to 1998,[11] and briefly reunited in 2016.[12] After several personnel changes on guitar, Dokken's attorney Jon Levin stepped in to fill the role in 2004. In 2001,Barry Sparks replaced Pilson on bass. In 2009,Sean McNabb (formerly withGreat White andQuiet Riot) replaced him, and was then replaced byChris McCarvill in 2015. As of Mick Brown's retirement from the band in July 2019, Don Dokken is the only remaining original band member. Brown's vacancy was filled by BJ Zampa ofHouse of Lords fame.
Don Dokken's first band formed in 1976, named Airborn. He played shows at clubs in theLos Angeles area, including theStarwood on Sunset Strip. Airborn includedBobby Blotzer on drums andJuan Croucier on bass, but Blotzer and Croucier left the band in 1978 to form FireFoxx.[13] Don Dokken was unable to keep the Airborn name because another band named Airborne had already acquired a record deal. Bringing in Greg Pecka on drums and Steven R. Barry on bass, Dokken recorded a 7" single, "Hard Rock Woman" b/w "Broken Heart", released in 1979 under the band name Dokken, produced byDrake Levin, best known as the guitarist forPaul Revere & the Raiders.[citation needed]
A Dokken line-up consisting of Don, guitaristGreg Leon, drummerGary Holland (both from the band Suite 19 which also once featuredMötley Crüe'sTommy Lee), and bassist Gary Link toured Germany in 1979 where the band met an up-and-coming producer by the name ofMichael Wagener, also the live sound engineer forAccept, who would follow Don back to Los Angeles for a short vacation, a move that became permanent shortly thereafter. The '79 touring line-up quickly fell apart with Leon taking overRandy Rhoads' spot inQuiet Riot and Holland joining Dante Fox, later known asGreat White. A Michael Wagener-producedHamburg recording of the '79 line-up surfaced in 1989 under the titleBack in the Streets, released by the German labelRepertoire Records without the band's consent.[14] Dokken toured Germany again in 1980, this time with Croucier back on bass.[15]
In early 1981, Don Dokken returned to Germany trying to get a record deal with a new band in tow, guitaristGeorge Lynch and drummerMick Brown, who had been playing in a band called Xciter at the time, with Croucier remaining on bass. After recording demos with Wagener and with the help of Accept's manager,Gaby Hauke, a deal was secured withCarrere Records.[16] Recorded between July and September 1981 at Studio Stommeln with Wagener andDieter Dierks,Breaking the Chains was initially released under the name "Don Dokken" before it was changed to simply Dokken on subsequent pressings. While in Germany, Don would also demo songs with theScorpions for theirBlackout album as the band's vocalistKlaus Meine was forced to undergo surgery on hisvocal cords and his return was uncertain for a time. Dokken did eventually perform backing vocals on the album. Meanwhile, Lynch, Brown and Croucier ended up working as studio musicians for German singerUdo Lindenberg on his 1982 albumKeule, playing on four songs: "Urmensch (Prehistoric man)", "Ratten (Rats)" (both co-written by Lynch, Brown and Lindenberg), "Zwischen Rhein Und Aufruhr (Between the Rhine and the uproar)", and "Gesetz (Law)".[17] Promotional activities for the European release ofBreaking the Chains included a German TV appearance as Dokken performed a 40-minute live set on theBeat-Club as part of aMusikladen Extra which aired on January 4, 1982.[citation needed]
Back in the United States, Dokken were now managed by Cliff Bernstein who got the band signed toElektra Records for a stateside release ofBreaking The Chains, remixed for the American market. Dokken played a couple of shows withWarren DeMartini on guitar when George Lynch briefly left to rehearse withOzzy Osbourne's band while on tour.[18] The band did an arena tour in the U.S. with Lynch back on guitar supportingBlue Öyster Cult in 1983, but when the tour was over the band was left with little money and was nearly dropped from the label due to the album's lack of success.[19]
While the band was very popular in Europe during this time they had not yet made commercial progress in the United States. Magazines such asKerrang! publicized Dokken in the UK.[citation needed]
Juan Croucier left Dokken in 1983 just prior to the release of the "Breaking the Chains" video to joinRatt alongside DeMartini. He was replaced byJeff Pilson, who joined in time to film the video (without having played the song). The albumTooth and Nail was released on September 13, 1984. The album contained several hit songs including "Just Got Lucky", "Alone Again", and "Into the Fire", and sold over one million copies in the US alone, peaking at No. 49, while selling another estimated one million copies worldwide.[citation needed] On November 22, 1985, the band's third albumUnder Lock and Key was released. It also sold over one million copies with the singles "In My Dreams" (#24), "The Hunter" (#25) and "It's Not Love". During this time in the 1980s, Dokken opened for such bands asJudas Priest,AC/DC,Aerosmith,Dio andKiss, among others. The 1986 documentary shortHeavy Metal Parking Lot features fans of Dokken and Judas Priesttailgating before a concert in Maryland.[citation needed]
Following a successful tour withScorpions, Dokken returned to the studio in December 1986 to record "Dream Warriors", a song for the movie soundtrackA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. The track brought the band to the attention of many UK hard rock fans. The song was released as a single ("Dream Warriors" / "Back for the Attack") on February 10, 1987. After this release, the band took nearly 6 months off before recordingBack for the Attack. The album was released on November 27, 1987, with the singles "Burning Like a Flame" (#20), "Heaven Sent" and "Prisoner" (#37) making the album the band's most successful release, reaching No. 13 on U.S. charts. It also included a remixed version of the single "Dream Warriors" (#22), and the accompanyingmusic video featured band members interacting with the film's characters.Back for the Attack became Dokken's third record to reach platinum status.[citation needed]
After releasingBack for the Attack, the band toured as part of theMonsters of Rock Tour 1988 festival in the summer of 1988 along withVan Halen,Scorpions,Metallica, andKingdom Come.[20] Recordings from their April 1988 tour in Japan led to the release of live albumBeast from the East on November 16, 1988, which went Gold in the United States and charted at No. 33. The album scored one studio single, titled "Walk Away" and a music video was made for it.[21]
Dokken broke up in March 1989, due to creative and personal differences between Don Dokken and George Lynch as well as Don's desire to fire the rest of the band and hire new members before they signed their next record deal. Lynch and Brown then formed the bandLynch Mob and recorded two albums:Wicked Sensation in 1990 andLynch Mob in 1992.[citation needed]
Don Dokken also recorded what has been regarded as a strong album, titledUp from the Ashes in 1990 which spawned two singles, very much in the vein of previous Dokken efforts.[22]
Bassist Jeff Pilson, switching to lead vocals and guitar, formed Flesh & Blood in 1989 and recorded a 5-song demo. Further recordings under the name War & Peace surfaced asTime Capsule in 1993, by which time the group had already disbanded. Pilson joined theMcAuley Schenker Group for their 1991 album,M.S.G.. Afterwards, Pilson signed on with Dio for theStrange Highways album, reuniting with former Flesh & Blood bandmateVinny Appice.[citation needed]
Lynch's first solo effort, 1993'sSacred Groove, reunited him with Don Dokken for the writing of the track "We Don't Own This World." Don Dokken was also supposed to sing lead on the track, however at the last moment, Don was unable to attend the studio session and was replaced byMatthew and Gunnar Nelson. Jeff Pilson also collaborated with Lynch on the album, co-writing the lyrics to "Flesh and Blood" and playing bass on "We Don't Own This World".[citation needed]
After releasingUp from the Ashes in 1990 Don Dokken wrote another solo album in 1993. TitledDysfunctional, the album was recorded and produced in Don's studio. However, whenJohn Kalodner wanted to sign him for the album, he suggested that George Lynch be brought back into the band so that the album could be marketed as a Dokken album, and not another Don Dokken solo effort. Despite the fact that the tension between Lynch and Don Dokken was the cause of the band's 1989 split, the two agreed to put their problems behind them for the time being. The band re-united in 1994 along with Mick Brown and Jeff Pilson, with Lynch re-writing and re-recording the guitar solos on the album, which were originally conceived by Don. Dokken was signed withColumbia Records and the album managed to sell 300,000 copies despite the decline in popularity of similar bands during this time.[23]
During the tour supportingDysfunctional, old tensions between George and Don had resurfaced and the band began to split apart. During aColumbia promotion for the new album in which the band was scheduled to play live on 120 radio stations, Lynch unexpectedly left the studio and refused to re-enter. The record company was forced to air the rehearsal tape that had been recorded earlier and four days later the label dropped Dokken, presumably because of this and other similar incidents involving Lynch's behavior.One Live Night, a live acoustic album, was released in 1996 by a new label,CMC International, and was followed withShadowlife in 1997. Don Dokken was dissatisfied withShadowlife, an album in which Lynch took total control and even went as far as to replace the original Dokken logo on the album. Don alleges that Lynch intended to destroy the band with this album, reciting the following quote from him in an interview: "This is the perfect record. This is gonna be the end of Dokken, and that is what I wanted to accomplish."[23]
In late 1997, the band fired Lynch. Needing a guitarist, Dokken looked toEurope guitaristJohn Norum who had previously played on his 1990 solo album and was familiar with the band's catalog, to help him finish the tour. Lynch tried to re-join the group just days before the tour began, but was told that he was "out" by the rest of the group. Alawsuit followed in which Lynch sued the band for $1 million, but the band prevailed in the verdict. After the European tour, John Norum was unable to continue as he had previously committed to a solo record. The band then hired formerWinger guitaristReb Beach, and recorded in 1999 the aptly titledErase the Slate.[23] Dokken released another live album titledLive from the Sun in 2000 before the departure of Beach.[24]
Beach, who wanted to work on some other projects and could not commit to Dokken long term, was replaced by John Norum, who was now in between projects and able to participate in the band's touring schedule.[25] Bassist Jeff Pilson also left the band, replaced byBarry Sparks. In a 2004 interview, Don Dokken stated that Jeff left because "he wanted to do something different and didn't want to keep playing these songs over and over again."[26] Of the original members, only Dokken and Mick Brown remained. This line-up released the albumLong Way Home, but Norum suffered a hand injury during the band's early-2002 tour of Europe and had to be replaced by former Dark Lord guitarist Alex De Rosso. That same year, Dokken was featured in theMetal Edge Rock Fest tour along withRatt,FireHouse, and other similar acts. In the spring of 2003, Dokken embarked on an extensive tour of the United States, opening forScorpions andWhitesnake.[27] After the tour, guitarist Alex De Rosso lost his visa and had to return to Italy, at which point Don Dokken called Jon Levin who formerly played guitar onDoro'sForce Majeure, and also had previously met with the band and played a single show in 1998.[28] Levin joined the band, and the line-up of Dokken, Brown, Levin, and Sparks would remain through 2008. Dokken releasedHell to Pay in 2004, which was seen by critics as a modern approach to the band's style.[29] The band continued extensive touring in 2005 and 2006. 2007 saw the release of both a live CD and a compilation DVD. The CD, titledFrom Conception: Live 1981, is a previously unreleased live recording from the band's early years which Don discovered in their master vault.[30] The DVD release titledUnchain the Night was first released on VHS in 1986 and is a compilation of the band's music videos along with interviews and other footage.[31] The band also performed at the hard rock and metal festivalRocklahoma in both 2007 and 2008.[citation needed]
On May 13, 2008, Dokken released their first studio album in four years titledLightning Strikes Again, which was met with critical acclaim along with increased commercial success and became the band's highest-charting album in 13 years, debuting at No. 133 in the United States.[32] The album was a return to the band's signature sound and the songs follow the classic Dokken formula.[33] Don Dokken told interviewers that Jon Levin was the bandmate who wanted the band to make an album with the classic sound in mind, and remarked that the process was difficult, saying: "I had to get back in that mindset. This is what the fans wanted, and if I stay focused on that I would give them a straight-ahead Dokken record."[34] During the spring and summer of 2008 in order to promote the new Dokken album, Don Dokken and Jon Levin participated in dozens of interviews including Rockline,KNAC, The Classic Metal Show, as well as a series ofpodcasts available on the band's website.[35]
During the summer of 2008, the band toured withSebastian Bach andPoison. Sparks and Brown were not part of the summer 2008 touring line-up. Brown signed on to play withTed Nugent for the summer before Dokken was offered the slot on the Poison tour, making him unable to tour in support ofLightning Strikes Again. Sparks was in Asia performing with a stadium act and was unable to tour with Dokken until he was able to get a visa for his wife.Chris McCarvill fromHouse of Lords played bass.Jeff Martin ofRacer X andBadlands played drums for the 2008 tour until he was fired by Don Dokken. Chris McCarvill's House of Lords bandmate B.J. Zampa filled in as drummer for the remainder of the tour.[citation needed]
Since then Dokken have toured extensively with Mick Brown back on drums (BJ Zampa filling in on drums when Brown is busy touring with Ted Nugent).Sean McNabb formerly ofQuiet Riot andGreat White has remained on bass, along with Jon Levin on guitar and Don Dokken on vocals. In 2010, the band opened for theScorpions on select dates of their US tour. On March 1, 2010 Dokken digitally releasedGreatest Hits, a collection of re-recorded songs from their 1980s albums with two new tracks, toiTunes andAmazon.com. The physical album with additional tracks was released In Japan onKing Records on April 21, 2010 and is available in the United States throughCleopatra Records.[citation needed]
On November 29, 2009 during an encore at a Dokken show at The House of Blues in Anaheim, George Lynch and Jeff Pilson joined Mick Brown and Don Dokken for two songs, the first time they were on stage together in 12 years.[citation needed]
In early 2010 Lynch announced a reunion of Dokken's "classic" line-up, though the announcement was followed by a retraction on February 24. In May 2010 Lynch and Don Dokken appeared together as guests on Season 5, Episode 7 of television showThat Metal Show. In the episode they claimed that the main cause of their rift was a publicity stunt that they both eventually started to believe. Lynch added that Don also wanting to "take all the money and all the credit" did not help, with Don nodding during the statement. They both also mentioned that they would love to have a reunion with Don, Lynch, Pilson, and Brown, but that they are all too busy with other projects in 2010 (between Dokken's current lineup, Lynch Mob, Pilson's involvement with Foreigner). Dokken andLynch Mob toured through the summer and fall of 2010.[citation needed]
On December 8, 2010, Lynch announced on his web site and in interviews earlier that a Dokken reunion will not be happening. Lynch stated:
We feel it's important to let folks know there will be no Dokken reunion in the foreseeable future, if ever. This is Don's decision, despite Jeff's and my best intentions and efforts over the past few years to make this happen in good faith. My apologies toVH1,Eddie Trunk, Steve Strange and all the fans who were pulling for this to happen.[36][37]
Dokken planned to release a new studio album in the fall 2012, with recording planned to finish by February and release before the band went on tour in June.[38] The album would be released worldwide onFrontiers Records, which announced the signing of Dokken on November 22, 2011.[38] Don Dokken announced the title of the new album to beBroken Bones and said the release date should be sometime in November 2012.[39] They brought in session drummerJimmy DeGrasso asMick Brown couldn't record due to scheduling conflicts which made this the first album he didn't appear on in Dokken, although Brown has stated in interviews that Don simply didn't want to pay to fly him in for the sessions. The album was released on September 25, 2012. In November 2014, Sean McNabb was replaced by one-time Ted Nugent bassist (and perennial lead singer ofYngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force)Mark Boals.[40]
It was revealed in June 2015 that Dokken would be part of the Rockingham lineup at Nottingham'sRock City October 23–25. Dokkenheadlined on the Sunday, followingGiuffria on stage. Other acts scheduled for that Sunday includedRoyal Hunt andStan Bush.[41]
Don Dokken announced that he would be reuniting with George Lynch, Mick Brown and Jeff Pilson to perform several shows in Japan at the end of October 2016 and one US show at the end of September.[12][42] In an interview withL.A. Weekly on March 6, 2017, Don Dokken said he is not planning any further appearances with Pilson and Lynch, stating that the Japan shows were "a one-time thing."[43][44] Despite this, the classic Dokken lineup recorded their first song together in over 20 years "It's Just Another Day"; it can be found on the live albumReturn to the East Live (2016), which was released on April 20, 2018.[45]
When speaking to AllThatShreds.com in July 2017, Jon Levin said that the band is planning to enter the studio in the fall after touring to begin work on the next studio album for a 2018 release, which he described is the "classic Dokken sound".[46] GuitaristIra Black filled in for Jon Levin on the latter half of the band's 2017 tour. In July 2019, longtime drummer Mick Brown announced his retirement from Dokken after 40 years with the band, citing the toll of constant touring and feeling that he had grown too old for the demands of the road. His spot was later taken by BJ Zampa, also of House of Lords fame alongside bassist Chris McCarvill.[47]
Dokken released an album calledThe Lost Songs: 1978-1981 on August 28, 2020 via Silver Lining Music.[48]
An album collection package titledThe Elektra Albums 1983-1987 was released on January 27, 2023, featuring the first four studio albums from the band's career and also at their creative peak.[49] The twelfth studio albumHeaven Comes Down was released on October 27, 2023. A music video of the first single titled "Fugitive" was released on August 8, 2023.[50][51][52]
Members and former members of the band have appeared on varioustribute albums.[citation needed]
Current members
Touring guests
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